My Instagram followers of nearly 40,000 often ask me about weight control and diet. Recently, I finished a YouTube video on sugar and how it can ruin your weight control. I offer lots of alternatives to sugar, which is a must if you have a sweet tooth. Protein, on the other hand, is an ingredient that will help you with your weight control, also, but with many other healthy benefits.
Even though I’ve had nearly 40,000 Instagram followers, I’ve never told anybody this except a few close friends. I certainly never posted about it on social media. Here it is—
Last year I was training to enter a body building competition! It was going to be the natural division so you couldn’t have any drugs in your system. It was the natural division for 50 years old and older. For one year, I had a personal trainer and I worked out five to six times a week. The reason I bring this up is because my trainer helped me understand the importance of protein in your diet.
As many of you know, I’m an international fashion model and as you can imagine I need to keep my weight pretty steady throughout the years. I’ve learned quite a few tricks how to do just that and I want to share them with you now.
I have not eaten red meat in decades. I tend to be more of a plant based eater. Sometimes I’ll eat fish and rarely will I eat a piece of chicken. Obviously, getting enough protein in my diet was a strong consideration and it became an ever bigger consideration when I started my body building training.
My personal trainer told me to consume an 8 oz glass of a protein powder drink before I’d workout and also after I’d workout. This really boosted my protein intake and, boy, did I feel better. I felt so much more energized! I was more in touch with my hunger and I felt when I needed more nutrients. Consuming more protein turned on the switch for a better functioning body.
What happened was I gained four or five pounds, which she wanted me to gain because I was on the low side of weight for my height. What also happened was the muscle mass I gained. I put on more weight on my biceps and my booty or tights but not on my waist.
With eating more protein (I never knew this and it’s a wonderful bit of news) it helps to boost your metabolism and decrease your appetite while increasing the amount of calories you burn. It’s really good for your muscles because as you get older you start to lose muscle mass. The protein helps build that muscle mass while it kick starts your metabolism again. You burn calories more purely and you lose your appetite. I mean, what better weight control secret is there? It just blew me away! I was eating more and feeling better and not gaining weight while I increased my workout routine. By adding protein in your diet you can lose weight.
Like I mentioned earlier, I haven’t had red meat in a long time. You might be wondering what protein alternatives there are to red meat. Before I tell you the alternatives to meat I just want to point out that vegetarianism can help combat hunger in the world because over 80% of the farmland in America is dedicated to raising livestock and 75% of the food that we grow goes to feeding those livestock. Imagine if that farmland was used to grow edible plants and those plants feed people, it would probably tip the scales on hunger in this country.
Consider these facts, as well: growing plants would help purify the air with all of the carbon dioxide they absorb and oxygen they release. Cows themselves release gases which are 28 times more powerful than carbon di